Injector for subcutaneous implantation of solids



Jan. 16, 1962 R. SEIN INJECTOR FOR SUBCUTANEOUS IMPLANTATION OF SOLIDSFiled Aug. 1, 1958 Roberto Ser'n l N VE N TOR.

BY @Mm Patented Jan. 16, 1962 ice 3,616,895 INJECTOR FOR SUBCUTAWEGUSIMPLANTA- TIGN Oi illLlllDS Roberto Sein, Rio Iiedras, Iuerto Rico,assignor to Pan American Laboratories, Inc, Rio Piedras, Puerto RicoFiled Aug. 1, 1953, Ser. No. 752,622 3 Claims. (CL 128--217) Thisinvention relates generally to injectors, and more particularly to aveterinarians injector of the type designed for subcutaneousimplantation of solids in animals.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an injector of thecharacter described wherein solid pellets may be injected into animalsvery quickly and efliciently, because of the novel structuralarrangement of the present invention.

Another object of this invention is to provide an injector, wherein theloaded pellet may not be accidentally removed from the loading tube,during the movement of the injector, but will be held firmly in placeuntil the injector is actuated.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described wherein a longitudinally bored pellet receiving andloading unit is provided which unit is hingedly mounted so that it maybe misaligned with the body of the injector, so that a solid pellet maybe easily inserted therein, for convenient loading of the injector.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a locking devicefor retaining said loading unit in alignment with the body of theejector, at all times, until the locking and unlocking mechanism isactuated.

An even further object of this invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described wherein the loading tube is provided with a cammingsurface which cooperates with the locking and unlocking mechanism, sothat the unit need only be aligned with the body of the injector, forthe locking mechanism to be actuated.

An even further object of this invention is to provide a lockingmechanism of the character described wherein said receiver will befirmly held in the open position, until it is moved so that the cammingsurface allows it to fall back into proper position in alignment withthe body of the injector when the locking mechanism 1s actuated.

An even further object of this invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive device and yet one whichns exceedingly useful for thepurposes for which it is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinl1ke numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the in ector comprising thepresent invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially along theplane defined by reference line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 illustrating details ofconstruction thereof;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sec tional viewillustrating the needle assemblyand the end of the loading tube, withthe pellet be1ng illustrated in movement through the tube and into theneedle member; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view illustrating the open position of theloading member with respect to the injector body.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral generallydesignates the in ector body. To this injector body 16 is pivotallyconnected at longitudinally bored pellet receiving and loading unit 12.Also,

therein.

the necessary needle unit 14 is connected to the forward portion of theloading tube 12 so that the skin of an animal may be punctured thereby.

The injector body 10 comprises a tubular cylinder or barrel 16, open atboth ends, and having threads 18 on the inner surface of the rear endthereof. On the forward end, the tubular member or barrel is formed witha peripheral reinforcing collar-like portion 20, which has ears 22(FIGS. 1 and 4) projecting therefrom, by which the openable and closableunit 12 is pivotally connected to the body 10. A finger engaging member24 is connected to the rear portion of the barrel 16, and hasindentations therein so as to more comfortably fit the contour of theindex and middle fingers when using the injector. This finger member 24is held in place by a cap 26. This cap has a projecting flange 28 whichis threaded as at 30 so as to engage the threads 18 of tubular member16, and enclose the rearward end of the body. It will be readilyrealized that the finger member 24 has a circular opening formedtherethrough so as to allow the cap 26 to pass through the opening andthe head 32 of cap 26 will engage the outer border of the opening formedin the finger member, so as to fasten the finger member between therearward edge of body 10 and the head of the cap 26. A central openingis formed axially through cap 26, so as to accommodate an ejector rod.

Ejector rod 36 is slidably engaged in opening 34, and has a handle 38 onits outer end thereof so that a thumb may engage this handle while theindex finger and middle finger of a user are engaging finger member 24,so as to actuate the injector in the usual manner. A sleeve 40 havingslightly smaller dimensions than tubular member 16 is slidably mountedinternally of tubular member 16, and has a closed bottom 42 and a closedtop 44. However, in order that the ejector rod 36 may pass therethroughopenings 46 and 48 are formed in ends 42 and 44 respectively. Ashoulder-forming washer 50 or some other equivalent means is fastened torod 36, and is engageable with the sleeve-end 42 so that as rod 36 isretracted the sleeve 40 will also be retracted. A spring 52 is disposedabout rod 36 and between sleeveend 42 and cap 26, for constantly urgingthe sleeve 40 forwardly of body 10. It may be seen that in the normalposition, illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the end of ejector rod 36 willproject into loading tube 12.

The aforementioned longitudinally bored pellet receiving and loadingunit 12 comprises a circular cup 54 defining and providing a socket orchamber 56 of proper size to permit the forward projectible andretractible end of sleeve 40 to be projected into said socket. A tube58, sometimes referred to as a loading tube, projects forwardly from thebottom of the cup 54 and has its bore aligned with the bore or passageat the bottom of the cup and also has external screw threads (FIG. 3)formed on the end thereof. As may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the edge ofthe rim of the cup 54 which faces the sleeve is cut away, as at 62, forclearance. However, the unit 12 is connected by means of bolts 64 whichpass through cars 22 and into the cup 54, so that this novel unit 12 ispivotally connected to the barrel 16. Furthermore, it should be apparentthat the cutaway portion 62 is provided so that the cup will havesuflicient clearance to hinge freely. Thus, as viewed in FIGURE 2, itmay be seen that the unit 12 may be pivoted, counterclockwise into theopen or loading position, but not clockwise since the rim of the cup 54will abut the reinforced portion 20 of the barrel. A central bore 66 isformed axially through unit 12, and is in alignment with the ejector rod36, so that a portion of this rod is telescoped Furthermore, theprojecting forward end portion of sleeves 4t telescoping into the socket56 locks the cup 54 and tube 58 against pivotal movement with respect tothe barrel 16. It may thus be seen that the cup and tube components ofunit 12 remain aligned with barrel 16, until the ejector rod 36 ispurposely retracted, whereupon shoulder 59 will engage sleeve 49 andpull it rearwardly. Upon this movement, the forward end of ejector 36will be removed from bore 66, and the forward portion of sleeve 40 willbe removed from the socket in the cup 54 so that the loading unit maypivot into its open loading position (FIG. 4).

The needle unit 14 is constructed of a hollow needle member 7% which hasan internal passage '72 therein, and an inclined forward portion as at74- to define a puncture point for inserting a needle into the skin.Furthermore, a knurled coupling '76 is engaged with the needle memberand threadedly connected to threads 60 of forward portion of the tube58. It is to be noted that at 78 the needle has an enlarged portion withan inclined surface which abuts against inclined surface 813 of theconnecting coupling 76 so as to fasten needle 7b to the rest of thedevice. By comparing the left hand end portion of FIG. 2 with the largershowing in FIG. 3

it will be evident that pellet retaining means is mounted in the bore ofthe pellet receiving and ejecting unit 12. More specifically, FIG. 2shows the nose of the pellet 84 abutting the elastic Washer 82 which islocated between the end of the needle and the shoulder-forming end ofthe tube 58. The center opening in the washer is of a diameter less thanthe cross-section of the bore and also the pellet but this opening isadapted to expand and to allow the pellet to be driven and forcedtherethrough when forcibly pressed by the leading end of the ejector rod36. This step is brought out in FIG. 3 wherein it will be observed thatapproximately one-half portion of the pellet has been shoved through thecenter opening of the washer 82. As soon as the whole pellet clearsthrough it is forcibly pressed through the bore '72 of the needle by theejector rod. It will also be evident from FIG. 4 that when the mouth ofthe cup is open all that one has to do is to take a pellet between thefingers, drop it down into the passage 6d, and the pellet will, ofcourse, gravitate down through the passage in the extended tube 58 untilit comes to rest against the stop washer 82. The unit 12 having beenthus loaded is ready to be swung back to its locked ready-to-useposition (as seen in FIG. 2).

It will thus be seen that there has been provided a new and improvedtype of injector for subcutaneou implantation of solids which provides aloading tube for easy loading of the device, while positively retainingthe solid pellet 84 and not allowing it to fall out of the device untilit is ejected by rod 36.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous 'modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A pellet implanter comprising in combination a barrel having an openend and a closed end provided with a central aperture, a pair oftransversely spaced ears provided at and projecting longitudinallybeyond the open end of said barrel, a pellet holding an injecting unitpivotally mounted between said ears for swinging movement about an axistransverse of the barrel, said unit including a body member disposedadjacent the open end of the barrel and pivoted to said ears, a tubularextension provided on said body member, said body' member and extensionhaving an axial pellet receiving bore disposed in axial alignment withsaid barrel when said unit is swung to an operative position and acounterbore in said body member at the end of said bore facing the openend of the barrel, said counterbore being of substantially the samediameter as the inside of the barrel and coaxial therewith when the unitis in its operative position but being oriented laterally with respectto the barrel when said unit is swung to a position for loading a pelletinto said bore, said bore being substantially smaller in diameter thansaid counterbore, an injector needle coaxial with and separablyconnected to said body member extension and having a pellet passagetherethrough in alignment with said bore, yieldable means providedbetween said needle and said extension for retaining a pellet in theportion of the bore in said extension, a sleeve slidable in said barreland having an end portion projectable through the open end of the barrelinto said counterbore for axially aligning said unit with the barrel andreleasably locking the unit in its operative position, said sleeve beinghollow and having closed ends provided with coaxial openings, anejecting rod extending slidably through said openings of said sleeve andthrough said aperture in the closed end of the barrel, an end portion ofsaid rod projecting from said one end portion of the sleeve receivablein said counterbore being receivable in the portion of said bore in saidbody member to assist the sleeve in axially aligning said unit with thebarrel and releasably locking the unit in its operative position, saidend portion of said rod being engageable with a pellet in said bore topropel the pellet past said yieidable means and through the passage insaid needle during sliding of the rod in said barrel and sleeve in thedirection of said unit, abutment means provided on said rod within saidsleeve and engageable with the closed end of the sleeve adjacent theclosed end of the barrel for simultaneously Withdrawing the rod fromsaid bore and said sleeve from said counterbore during sliding of therod outwardly through the closed end of the barrel whereby to unlocksaid unit and permit swinging thereof to the pellet loading position,resilient means interposed between the closed end of the barrel and theadjacent closed end of the sleeve for urging the latter into saidcounterbore when said unit is axially aligned with the barrel, andcooperating handle means provided at the closed end of the barrel and atthe end of said rod projecting through the closed end of the barrel forsliding said rod.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said yieldable meanscomprise a resilient washer interposed between said needle and saidextension and having a central opening in axial alignment with theneedle passage and the extension bore, said central opening of saidwasher being smaller in diameter than said bore to retain a pellet inthe latter but being resiliently enlargeable by the passage of a pellettherethrough under actuation of said rod.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 together with a tubular couplingmember separably connecting said needle to said extension, said washerbeing disposed in said coupling member and having its opposite sidefaces in abutment with said extension and said needle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSl,7l5,77l MacGregor June 4, 1929 2,673,562 Wadinger Mar. 30, 19542,761,446 Reed Sept. 4, 1956

